Topic: Seed Sharing Circle 2012

[Dandytown]

Thank you Jayb,

After the generous donations everyone made to the 2011 seed swap I want to add quite a few things.  I'll try and add things that we did not have in 2011 so it could take some time to decide.

Whatever I decide I will surely be adding Bon Bon seeds and some of my own AG pumpkin seed from what I grow this year.  My bon bon squash in 2011 were better than any other squash I have tasted.  The AG seed will be from the brightest orange pumpkin I grow, feel free to pass them on if you do not wish to grow them.

Roll on the summer  ;)

[Jayb]

Whatever I decide I will surely be adding Bon Bon seeds and some of my own AG pumpkin seed from what I grow this year.  My bon bon squash in 2011 were better than any other squash I have tasted.  The AG seed will be from the brightest orange pumpkin I grow, feel free to pass them on if you do not wish to grow them.
Roll on the summer  ;)

I'm pretty sure Bonbon are an F1 variety, they may well produce some interesting offspring, although these may be quite varied and not the best for seed sharing? Giant AG seed sounds good, (Pete JB has very kindly sent me some seed for this year, but after my disaster of a squash season last year, I'm worried I won't do them justice.)

Yes roll on summer it's Brrrrrrr cold!

[Poolcue]

I might try Reisentraube tomatoes and Black Hungarian chillies for starters.

[Debs]

Please can I join the 2012 group  :D ?

Haven't done this before, so how do I know what veg to choose to avoid duplication??

Debs x

[Jayb]

Nice to have you join Debs  :) Jump right in if you know what you want to grow. Once we get a few more ideas of what everyone is aiming to grow I’ll start a list as a guide.  Most people say what they are planning on growing and give an update as the season progresses.  So far duplicating an individual variety hasn’t been a problem and the grow list seems to evolve with each group over the season. Obviously some types of veggies are more popular to save from and to grow. For the people who have been involved from the beginning it is nice if possible to have varieties that haven't been shared by the groups yet. Though not everyone is going to have the same taste in crops and as there has been such a lovely selection each year to choose from, it is not really a problem.

[Jayb]

I might try Reisentraube tomatoes and Black Hungarian chillies for starters.

Yum  ;D

[Dandytown]

Jayb you are most certainly right about BonBon being an F1 variety and I think you have told me before.

Sorry, back to the drawing board.

Has anyone tried Beetle Beans (Kaferbohnen) before as I have some from a German friend that I could try if they taste good etc?  Apparently they are a local delicacy in Austria.

I can spare 10 beans if anyone else would like to give them a try this year.  Send me a pm if you would like them.

[goodlife]

Beetle beans..that sounds..err.. ;D..interesting.. ;)
That would be good crop to grow for the circle! I would sow all you've got and get plenty for return.. ;)

[goodlife]

I've been thinking hard what to offer this year..and I think I'm going for a pea or two...one Swedish for shelling and other mangetout originating from Laos...and...Hmm..maybe a swedish soya bean variety...or some broadbean..I've got Finnish one and Russian to grow..hmmm...I've got few tomatoes too that I've not seen mentioned here before, again one Finnish (no idea of type or colour) and several others Cuban Black, Frankstein Black, some Russian varieties, one dwarf, couple beefsteaks (black and green)....hmmm...or maybe a Finnish turnip... :-\
I really haven't got any further than that yet..turnip will be decided when I see how they will pull through rest of the winter and set seeds..but those should yield plenty other wise..
Time will tell how it will turn out..I shall keep eye on as well what you others are offering so there is not too much of the same type..or does it matter?
Edit to add:...just been rummaging in a seed box..few more possibilities turned up..again Swedish white (soup) bean and snap bean...another broadbean variety..but it all depends how I can separate 3 different varieties if I'm about to grow all in same year..
I haven't written exact names yet..as its all just broad planning...does anything particular tickle your lots fancy? This is sooo difficult..
Or should I just grow the lot and choose when I know what I have to offer?..?

[goodlife]

me again....how about chillies and peppers?..I've got so many on a go now under lights?..if I'm in luck is should have a good selection.. ::) ;D ;D

[galina]

Has anyone tried Beetle Beans (Kaferbohnen) before as I have some from a German friend that I could try if they taste good etc?  Apparently they are a local delicacy in Austria.

I can spare 10 beans if anyone else would like to give them a try this year.  Send me a pm if you would like them.

Käferbohnen are runnerbeans, the type that is grown for seeds, rather than for pods.

This Austrian company sells several different types, scroll down for pictures
http://www.tomatensamen.at/Bohnensamen.htm

[Dandytown]

[/quote]

Käferbohnen are runnerbeans, the type that is grown for seeds, rather than for pods.

This Austrian company sells several different types, scroll down for pictures
http://www.tomatensamen.at/Bohnensamen.htm




[/quote]

Wow, what a large variety of bean!  I guess I should look for some recipes for the Kaferbohnen.

[lin]

Haven't tried the seed circle yet and not sure whether I could contribute that much, but if we only have to offer two I am sure I can do that. One of my favourite exotics is the exploding cucumber I originally got from Real seeds, I save lots of seed each year and get a real thrill out of growing them, though not necessarily eating them. They just look good.

I also planted some Egyptian walking onions from a bulb I got a year or so ago and it spread really well and is also a talking point, I am growing these again too. I always let some of my parsnips go to seed each year to save buying and they might go down well, although a bit common... Lin

[Jayb]

Welcome Lin, nice to have you join in :)
 ;D I usually grow a couple of Achocha, I think they look quite similar to your exploding cucumbers? Achocha don't really explode, well fat baby does a bit when seed are ripe and they manage to selfseed themselves about.

I love parsnips, what variety are you growing?

[Jayb]

A runner bean lover here  ;D Dandytown, I'm interested to hear how you get on with Beetle beans. I wonder if they are stringy from an early age which is why they are grown for their seed? I've grown an old German variety called Muesboni a few times, good climbers and produce masses of pods. Beans are very tasty but the pods are fairly short in comparison to some of the modern varieties.

[galina]

A runner bean lover here  ;D Dandytown, I'm interested to hear how you get on with Beetle beans. I wonder if they are stringy from an early age which is why they are grown for their seed? I've grown an old German variety called Muesboni a few times, good climbers and produce masses of pods. Beans are very tasty but the pods are fairly short in comparison to some of the modern varieties.

That is exactly how I would describe Virag (translates to flower), a Hungarian runner bean variety for seeds and - as the name suggests - evidently also appreciated for their pretty flowers.  They are red and white flowered, like Painted Lady, the pods are short and fat, however very edible indeed and not stringy if picked young. 

I wonder whether this is how all the original runnerbeans used to be and whether our very long types were bred from these types?  Does anybody know about the history of the runnerbean?  Did long and short podded types come from South America?

Very interesting  :)

[goodlife]

I like eating runnerbean seeds more than as green beans. And it does seem that this green bean 'business' is very much British thing..rest of the world seem to eat them as bean seeds.
I've got couple of eastern European varieties and those are short podded type as well.. one is 'Strakata'..and the beans come in various colour combinations and other is 'albena'..white.
But these plants need quite substantial frame to grow on...they grow 3-4 metres long!

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Does anybody know about the history of the runnerbean?apparently runnerbean is native to Mexico and Guatemala, mainly pollinated by hummingbirds and bees. Wild beans are short with only 8 rather round beans. Cultivated Runners date back to 2200 yrs ago..and introduced into Europe in the 16th century.
There..straight out of my book.. ;) 

[goodlife]

one more bit about runners...
longer pods with less fibrous 'stringiness' are result of the modern breeding.
That's all I can squeeze out of my books ..for now.. ;D I haven't looked into 'history of beans' yet.. ;D
Edit to add; Have any of you tried eating flowers of runner beans? I didn't know that they are edible..but it says so in this book of mine..???

[Jayb]

I know little of their history; it would be good to learn more :) One variety I have is Buton, seeds are of many colours and the flowers with some red and some white. Pods are generally mid length with some combining width and length, good taste and fairly stringless, well when eaten before the seeds fatten too much  :) This is one I'd like to keep going, it would also be fun to see how far length and width can be increased in the same bean variety, I've also grown some mingled with some Ceredigion, some of last year’s results were promising.

Goodlife it sounds like your bean 'Strakata' may have similar attributes, how is pod width?


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[goodlife]

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Goodlife it sounds like your bean 'Strakata' may have similar atributes, how is pod width?I don't know..I only got the seeds last autumn..so it is something to see this summer.